Store-service apparatus



(No Model.)

A. B. PARK.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

N0. 418,926. Patented Jan,7,1890.

INVENTOPL ATTEST. %%//m N PETERS. Phum-ulhu m hm. Wabhinglon. D. G,

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

AMBROSE I5. PARK, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,926, dated January7, 1890.

Application filed December 6, 1888. Serial No. 292,79 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMBROSE B. PARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Adrian, in the county of Iienawee and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-ServiceApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to in'lprovements in store'service apparatus, suchas is used in stores and mercantile establishments for transmittingparcels and cash from one station or part of the room or building toanother, and more particularly to that class of devices wherein thecarriage conveying the articles travels upon a track-wire and ispropelled along said wire through the medium of an actuating-spring,which exerts its force to propel the car forward upon the car beingreleased; and the invention consists in the novel construction andarrangements of parts here inafter fully described, due reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, in which The figure illustrates a sideelevation of a portion of a store -servicc apparatus constructed inaccordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the letterA indicates a hanger suspended fromthe ceiling or other part of the room, and B an arm rigidly secured tosaid hanger at a suitable point. Pivoted to the outer end of the arm Bisa le ver 0, whose upper end has connected thereto an actuating-spring D,the other end of the spring being attached to the hanger, and thisspring exerts its force to draw the upper end of the lever C toward thehanger and throw its lower end in the opposite direction. Upon the arm Bis a block I), provided with a rubher or other pad 1!, which acts as abumper and as a stop to limit the throw of the lever C. The lower end ofthe lever C terminates in a loop 0, for the purpose hereinafterdescribed. Rigidly secured to the hanger at a point below the arm B isanother arm E.

F indicates a track-wire, which is stretched level from one station toanother and secured to the hangers.

G indicates a catch-block, having two upwardly-extending lugs g whichare per forated for the passage of the track-wire upon which it moves.Pivoted to the low r portion of the catch-block is a gravity-catch II,having its rear end beveled, as shown, and weighted at II, so that itsbeveled rear end will descend by gravity and throw the forward hookedend of the catch upward. To the lug g on the catch-block is fastened oneend of a spring 9 the other end of the spring being fastened to theextremity of the arm E, and said spring exerts its force to pull thecatch-block toward the extremity of the arm E, and also acts as abumper-spring to check the motion of the carriage as it engages saidcatch-block. To the rear end of the catchblock is secured in anysuitable manner a cord I, which passes over a pulley J, journaled in thelower part of the hanger A, and secured at its other end to one end of alever K, pivoted to the bottom of the hanger. Said lever K is preferablycurved, as shown, and has j ournaled in its free end a friction-roller7;.

L indicates the carriage, consisting of a frame having journaled thereintwo or more grooved wheels adapted to travel upon the wire and havingsuspended from its under portion a cage or receptacle for the cash orparcels. Each end of the carriage L is provided with adownwardly-projecting hook or catch Z, adapted to be engaged by thegravitycatch II 011 the catch-block, and projecting upwardly from eachend of the carriage are fingers Z, adapted to engage the loop c,'carriedby the lever C.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of the apparatus. Let it besupposed that the carriage is in the position shown in the drawing. Thecash or parcel having been deposited in the cage of the carriage, theattendant grasps the cord depending from the lever K and pulls downward.This causes the cord I to draw the catch-block backward upon thetrack-wire, and the catch-block being in engagement with the carriageand the carriage with the loop 0 on the lever O the carriage and lowerend of said lever will also be drawn backward against the tension of theactuating-spring D. Upon continuing to pull upon the cord until thecatch-block and the tripping-lever assume the position shown in dottedlines the roller upon the free end of the tripping-lever K will strikethe bevtoo eled end of the gravity-catch H on the catchblock and releasethe carriage. Upon the release of the carriage the spring D will throwthe lower end of the lever C forward, thus propelling the carriageforward over the track-wire to its destined station. At the same timethe spring will propel the catchblock forward, ready for its engagementwith the carriage upon its return. Upon the return of the carriage thefinger Z upon the approaching end of the carriage will engage the loop 0upon the lower end of the lever O, and continuing upon its course theforward end of the carriage will strike the catchblock G.

The face of the catch-block is provided with a pad 6, which receives theforce of the stroke from the approaching carriage and acts as a bumper,and the force of the shock is further broken by the spring I) when thecarriage engages the loop 0 on the lever C, and the carriage is finallyand gently brought to rest by the spring g attached to the catchblockand the arm E. It will be observed that the springs D and g each possessa double function. Both serve to retard the momentum of the carriageupon its approach and bring it to a state of rest without shock, whileone also serves to propel the carriage forward and the other serves toreturn the catch-block to a position to meet the approaching carriage,the cord I and lever K preventin g the catch-block from traveling toofar forward. The said springs may be formed of coiled wire or rubber, ormay be of any suitable construction.

What I claim isg 1. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, witha track wire and a carriage traveling thereon, of a catch-blocktraveling on the track-wire and provided with a pivoted catch adapted toengage the carriage, a cord for retracting the catch-block and carriage,and a pivoted lever attached to said cord and operated thereby, andhaving its free end adapted to engage the catch as the catch-block isretracted to trip said catch and release the carriage, substantially asshown and described.

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a trackwire and acarriage traveling thereon, of a pivoted spring-actuated lever engagingwith the carriage, a catch-block traveling on the track-wire andprovided with a bumper-spring, and a pivoted catch adapted to engage thecarriage, a cord for retracting the catch-block and drawing the carriageagainst the tension of the actuating-spring, and a pivoted leverattached to said cord and operated thereby, and having its free endadapted to engage the catch as the catch-block is retracted to trip saidcatch and release the carriage, substantially as shown and described. 7

3. In a store-service apparatus, the combijnation, with a track-wire and a carriage thereon, of an actuating-spring connected with a lfpivotedlever carrying a loop at its lower end engaging said carriage, acatch-block travel ing on the track-wire and having pivoted ithereto agravity-catch having its weighted gend beveled, as shown, and engagingthe carlriage, a cord for retracting the catch-block land drawing thecarriage against the tension of the spring-actuated lever, and a pivotedElever attached at one end to said cord and loperated thereby, andcarrying at its other lend a roller which, when the catch-block is re-Ztracted, engages the beveled end of the catch ion the catch-block andreleases the carriage, isubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in ipresence of two witnesses.

AMBROSE l3. PARK.

Witnesses:

R. B. RoBBINs, WM. PAYNE.

